Thousand Books Project - update

I introduced my Thousand Books Project four weeks ago, and shared the exciting (to me) news that I was nearing my target after nearly eight years.

Well, now I'm even closer:

Only twenty more books and I'll have reached my goal.

Topic divider set for your Filofax to print at home

Following the popularity of my monthly dividers, I have produced a set of topic dividers based on the theme of 'Antique and Antiquity'. Here's what hey look like:

Since making this picture, incidentally, I've had some help with my translations.

The templates are set up with pictures I've found through Google Images and just cropped down to fit the format. The intention is that you can replace these with your own pictures.

When you add pictures, you'll need to position, size and crop them. This will be hard if you don't know how to make pictures 'float' in a Word document. To do this, once your picture is in the document, right-click on the picture and from the pop-up menu, select 'text wrapping', then 'behind text'. You can then drag the picture around at will. Finally, select your picture, right-click and choose 'send to back' to put the picture 'behind' the calendar and the tab.

You can download the templates below as Word documents. Each page will print on A4 card and contain two different Personal-size dividers, with crop marks to make cutting them out easy.

Antique and Antiquity divider set

Midori Traveler's Notebook-compatible Daily Journal to download and make - now with times

In response to a reader request, I have produced a version of the Midori-compatible Daily Journal with pre-printed appointment times added. Here is how it looks:

These are designed to work as Midori Traveler's Notebook inserts but will work equally well as stand-alone booklets.

You can download one or more of the sets. Each contains two months of pages, so the whole of 2014 is spread across six booklets.

I'm making this available as a in two formats, so everyone should be able to use it. If you want to tinker with it, choose the editable Word file, which is unprotected.

Each file prints double-sided on A4 paper in booklet mode. In all, you'll print sixteen sheets per set, which you can then bind into a cover and trim. This post will show you how.

Here are the files:

Jul-Aug 2013 Word file   Jul-Aug 2013 PDF file
Sep-Oct 2013 Word file   Sep-Oct 2013 PDF file
Nov-Dec 2013 Word file   Nov-Dec 2013 PDF file

Jan-Feb 2014 Word file   Jan-Feb 2014 PDF file
Mar-Apr 2014 Word file   Mar-Apr 2014 PDF file
May-Jun 2014 Word file   May-Jun 2014 PDF file

Jul-Aug 2014 Word file   Jul-Aug 2014 PDF file
Sep-Oct 2014 Word file   Sep-Oct 2014 PDF file
Nov-Dec 2014 Word file   Nov-Dec 2014 PDF file

Jan-Dec photographic dividers for your A5 Filofax

Following my post of these in Personal size, I received a request for A5 versions. The wider page allowed my to show more of the original pictures, and I'm quite pleased with the results. If you want to see them all, you'll have to download them, but to whet your appetite, here is one example compared with the smaller version:

If you use an A5 Filofax and would like to give these dividers a try, you can download them and print them for yourself.

The templates are set up with seasonal pictures I've found through Google Images and just cropped down to fit the format. The intention is that you can replace these with your own pictures.

When you add pictures, you'll need to position, size and crop them. This will be hard if you don't know how to make pictures 'float' in a Word document. To do this, once your picture is in the document, right-click on the picture and from the pop-up menu, select 'text wrapping', then 'behind text'. You can then drag the picture around at will. Finally, select your picture, right-click and choose 'send to back' to put the picture 'behind' the calendar and the tab.

You can download the templates below as Word documents, each containing six pages, with one A5 divider on each. Each page will print on A4 card, with crop marks to make cutting them out easy.

Those of you in North America who have struggled to obtain A4 paper are likely to have even more trouble obtaining A4 card, so I've made versions for you that are based on Letter paper.

Jan - Jun dividers (A4)
Jan - Jun dividers (Letter)
Jul - Dec (A4)
Jul - Dec (Letter)

NEW: 2015 versions available here.

Jan-Dec photographic dividers for your Filofax to download and make

About a year ago, I posted a template you could use to make your own photographic dividers. This year, I've put the template to a different use. I've added calendars to make a set of monthly dividers, which make it easier for you to navigate though your diary pages. Here's how they look. You can click on any of them to get a closer look.

The templates are set up with seasonal pictures I've found through Google Images and just cropped down to fit the format. The intention is that you can replace these with your own pictures.

When you add pictures, you'll need to position, size and crop them. This will be hard if you don't know how to make pictures 'float' in a Word document. To do this, once your picture is in the document, right-click on the picture and from the pop-up menu, select 'text wrapping', then 'behind text'. You can then drag the picture around at will. Finally, select your picture, right-click and choose 'send to back' to put the picture 'behind' the calendar and the tab.

You can download the templates below as Word documents. Each page will print on A4 card and contain two different Personal-size dividers, with crop marks to make cutting them out easy.

Jan - Feb dividers
Mar - Apr dividers
May - Jun dividers
Jul - Aug dividers
Sep - Oct dividers
Nov - Dec dividers

NEW: 2015 versions available here.

Free Don't Forget pages - now in A5 size

I recently offered a Don't Forget page for Personal and Pocket sizes. Not wanting A5 users to be deprived, here is a version in that size:

Click to enlarge

If your tasks are longer than just one line and you're tired of trying to squeeze them onto the standard To Do sheets, you can download and print the insert. You can choose either the editable Word file or the PDF file. Choose the Word file if you want to adapt the layout to your own requirements.

Each version is set up as an A4 document. To use them as A5 inserts, print the document in booklet mode on A4 paper, then use a guillotine to divide each sheet into two and punch the required holes, which the templates are set up with mirrored gutters to accommodate. Or, if you have A5 paper, then either the printer or the PC will scale it to size for you.

Free weekly habits tracker - now in Personal size

It took a while to shrink my weekly habits tracker down from A5 to Personal size, but I'm quite happy with this version:

Click to enlarge

Each week, the tracker will guide you through a four-step process that will help you develop habits in the areas of:

• Diet (either for weight reduction or for health)
• Exercise (any amount for any level of fitness)
• Money (either making it or saving it)
• Study (at any level, formal or informal)
• Karma (being nice, paying it forward or any aspect you choose)

I've left one space empty for you to add another if you want, but if you have a different set of things you want to track, you can change the table titles very easily.

The insert takes you through the following process:

Step 1: Decide on a goal for this week. For instance, earning a 4 every day would mean a score for the week of 28. Be realistic; think about what would represent a good performance for this particular week.

You'll need to think about what a top score of 5 every day (=35 for the week) would actually mean for you, and what a lower score would look like. Here, your life goals will guide you (because you do have life goals, right?) Also think about what else is happening in your life in the coming week and what compromises you might therefore have to make.


Step 2: At the end of each day, score yourself for each habit. A score of 1 indicates a poor performance that you are very unhappy with. A 5 indicates the best possible performance.

Be honest here. Look back each day at what you were hoping to achieve - what you think (say) a 5 or a 3 look like - and compare your actual performance.


Step 3: At the end of the week, calculate your total points and compare against your goals.

Just some adding up to do, and see how you performed against the targets you set at the start of the week.


Step 4: Reflect on this week and set yourself some commitments for next week.

Work out what you are proud of this week. Give yourself a pat on the back. Resolve to keep doing it.

Then think about what you plan to improve on next week.


If you're ready to start tracking your habits, you can download and print the insert. You can choose either the editable Word file or the PDF file. Choose the Word file if you want to change the standard habits to your own.

Print these double-sided. If you have a duplex printer, set it to flip on the short edge. If you don't then you'll have to print odd-numbered pages and then refeed to print the even-numbered pages on the reverse. You might have to experiment to find out how to refeed the paper.

On one side of each sheet you'll find crop marks. Use a craft knife and a steel ruler to release the Personal pages and punch them. The templates are set up with mirrored gutters to accommodate the holes.

If using the PDF be sure to set it to print at full size as explained here.